The pinion nut is the large nut that secures the rear end yoke to the rear end flange on a vehicle. The rear end yoke is splined over the rear end shaft. The pinion nut is screwed onto the threaded end of the shaft until it is tight enough to secure the yoke to the shaft. Marking the pinion nut and the yoke before removing them allows for the nut and yoke to be reinstalled correctly. This also ensures that the nut is tightened to the point where it was at before the nut was removed.
Instructions
- 1
Park the vehicle on a flat and level surface and turn the engine off. Set the parking brake and place wheel chocks in the front of both front wheels and behind both front wheels.
2Jack the rear of the vehicle up and place the jack stands under the proper rear jacking points. Lower the rear end safely and securely on top of the jack stands. Leave the jack in the upright position as a extra safety measure.
3Remove the rear yoke of the rear drive shaft from the rear end yoke. Loosen and remove the four strap bolts that secure the rear drive shaft yoke to the rear end yoke with a ratchet and a socket. Pull back on the rear drive shaft with your hands and lower the rear driveshaft to the ground. The pinion nut can now be accessed.
4Locate one of the top corners of the pinion nut. Most all pinion nuts are designed with six corners. Place the tip of a large center punch directly below one of the top corners of the pinion nut. Strike the end of the center punch with a hand-held sledge hammer to make a mark at the top corner of the pinion nut.
5Locate the area inside of the rear end yoke directly across from the mark. Position the tip of the center punch against the area directly across from the pinion nut mark. Strike the center punch with the hammer to mark the rear end yoke. Both marks should be directly lined up with one another. The purpose is to reinstall the pinion nut to the exact area it was at before it was removed.
